I have a confession: I'm not usually a huge fan of cooked cabbage. I love raw cabbage: in salads, coleslaw, etc. - it has a nice crunchy texture and mild flavor. But I've often found that cooked cabbage, if it's not done well, can turn out mushy and tasteless.
The only way that I like eating cooked cabbage is through this amazingly simple but incredibly flavorful Indian Spiced Cabbage recipe.
Warm spices like cumin seeds, coriander, turmeric add depth to this recipe, cayenne pepper + a serrano chili give it a little kick, and I char the cabbage slightly to give it a smoky flavor. At home, we call it "Cabbage Sabzi"or "Cabbage Bhaji" - which literally means "Cabbage Vegetable Dish."
It's so easy to make, and it's so good for you! Spices like turmeric are anti-inflammatory, and cabbage is part of the cruciferous, cancer-preventing family of vegetables.
I like serving it with my Simple Slow-Cooker Yellow Dal and a sprouted wheat tortilla for a complete meal.
The husband, who never liked Cabbage Sabzi as a kid, absolutely loved this recipe! And Layla gobbled it up so fast, she cleaned her plate!
The Ingredients From Manjula's Kitchen- 1 head of cabbage sliced into fine long shreds (discard the stalk and thick stems)
- 1.5 cups frozen peas
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive or coconut oil
- Pinch of asafetida (hing)
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 serrano chili cut in half
- 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp chopped cilantro (for garnish)
Step 1: Heat the oil on medium high in a saucepan. Test the heat by adding one cumin seed to the oil; if the seed cracks right away, the oil is ready. Add asafetida, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, and turmeric. After the seeds crack add the green peas and serrano chili, stir for a few seconds.
Step 2: Add the cabbage, cayenne pepper, sugar, and salt. Mix well.
Step 3: Cover the pan and let the cabbage cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then uncover, and let the cabbage cook for 1-2 minutes until the bottom layer is very slightly browned giving it a little char. Stir again and turn off the heat when done. Top with cilantro and serve.
This recipe makes 4 enormous servings - and each serving is only 150 calories of pure-cruciferous-veggie-goodness. With 1 serving of the yellow dal (210 calories) and 1 sprouted wheat tortilla (~100 calories), that's a super-filling dinner for under 500 calories. Time to dig in!
Ingredients
Directions
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